158 COMMON MACKREL. Class IV. 



ful than other species of gregarious fish, being 

 very tender, and unfit for carriage; not but 

 that it may be preserved by pickling and salt- 

 ing, a method, we believe, practised only in 

 Cornwall* where it proves a great relief to the 

 poor during winter. 

 Garum. It was greatly esteemed by the Romans, be- 

 cause it furnished the pretious Garum, a sort of 

 pickle that gave a high relish to their sauces, and 

 was besides used medicinally. It was drawn 

 from different kinds of fishes, but that made 

 from the mackrel had the preference : the best 

 was made at Carthagena, vast quantities of 

 mackrel being taken near an adjacent isle, called 

 from that circumstance, Scombraria r;f and the 

 Garum, prepared by a certain company in that 

 city, bore a high price, and was distinguished by 

 the title of Garum Sociorum. ^ 



This fish is easily taken by a bait, but the best 

 time is during a fresh gale of wind, which is 

 thence called a mackrel gale. In the spring 

 the eyes of mackrel are almost covered with a 

 white film ; during which period they are half 

 blind. This film grows in winter, and is cast 

 Size. the beginning of summer. It is not often that 

 it exceeds two pounds in weight, yet we heard 



* Borlase Cornwall, 26g. f Slrabo Lib. iii. IO9. 



\ Plinii Lib. xxxi. c. 8. 



